Truck.



l.. SIMPSON.

TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I0. I9I5.

Patented AprK 25, 1916.

30 fbo I 33 man 1Mo@ Nonne/I; V

Tm: CoLuIvImA PLANOGRAPH co., wAsHIN'roN, D. c

LOUIS snvrrsoiv, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

TRUCK.

` Specification Of Letters Patent.`

Application med-May 10, 1915. Serial No. 27,196.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, LOUIS SIMPSON, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Fort Worth, inthe county of Tarrant and State `of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trucks, of which the following is-a specication.

This invention relates to trucks.

One oject is to provide an extensible truck particularly adapted for the transportation of lumber in lumber yards, and for the transfer of lumber, steel rails, beams or the like from boats to landings Or vice` versa.

Another object resides in the provision of a truck embodyingamong Other characteristics two end truck members adjustably spaced from `and supported by an intermediate truck member which may form a pivot or fulcrum for the truck to provide for an easy and ready turning of the truck, and which intermediate truck member is so associated with the end truck members that the weight of the load is sustained by the intermediate truck member.

A still further object is to provide a comparatively simple, inexpensive, durableand efficient extensible truck embodying among other characteristics, means whereby the load may be firmly bound on the end members of the truck so that the truck and the load carried thereby may constitute substantially a rigid mass, whereby the load may be expeditiously transported from place to place.

With the above and other objects in view, the present inventionconsists in the combination and arrangement of partshereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the-appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, proportion, size and minor details without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any'of the advantages of the invention. i

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 3 is a top plan view. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the end gates. y v' 'Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the reference character A indicates the intermediate member of the truck, and B and C the end members of the truck, all coupled together by means Oi suitable swirling poles The end truck members B and C are formed alike but the intermediate member A is constructed differently from the end members B and C and is adapted to sustain most ofthe weight of the materials placed on `the conveyance, as. will be hereinafter explained. This intermediate member A of the truck embodies side sills 10 and 11 and lfront and rear pairs of transverse sills 12 and 13 connected to the side sills 10 and `11. The transverse sills of each front and i rear pair thereof are arranged in superimposed spaced relation, being connected one on top and one to the under side of the side sills 10 and 11 so that the coupling poles D may be passed between the cross sills of each pair 12 and 13 for a purpose.presently explained.

The character 14 indicates an intermediate cross sill of the truck member A which lies directly over the axle 15 in spaced relation to thev latter, andwhich is disposed in `horizontal alinement with the uppermost of :the pairs of sills 12 and 13 and to the sill ,14 to p revent sidewise displacement of lumber, rails or other freight being,transported` on the truck and, if desiredthe uprights 17 on each side ofthe truck member A may be connected at their upper ends by a connect- 4ing piece 18.

Brake shoes 19 may be suspended from a lrock-.shaft 19 mounted by brackets 2O and operated-by a lever 21 or by any other suitable means. As a matter of fact, any suitable braking mechanism may be employed.

`As the end members B and C of the truck are each formed alike, a detailed description of one issuficient. `Each end member of the truck 4has its bodycomposed of three pairs of transverse sills 22, 23 Iand 24 connected at their ends by the side sills 25 of the end members of thetruck. These pairs of transverse `sills are spaced in the vsame manner lthat the pairsfof sills 12 and 13 are spaced so as to receive between the uppermost and lowermost pieces` of each pair the aforesaid cou- :pling'poles 1). 'The .coupling `poles D preferably Isuspend `the end `truck `members Patent-ea npr. 25, wie.

los

slightly ofi' the ground or floor, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

An end gate 26 is removably supported on the outermost pair of standards 22 of the end members of the truck and these end gates 26 may be slidably supported on the standards 22', as sho-wn. The standards 22 are preferably braced by the braces 27 and, if desired, the end gates may be locked in position by suitable pins 2'.

Springs 28 are carried by the end truck members and arranged between the intermediate pair of cross sills 23 and a pair of slightly spaced sills 29 between which latter the springs 28 are secured and which sills 29 are rigidly connected to the standards 30 carrying the caster wheels 30. The intermediate pair of sills 23 of each end member of the truck are bifurcated as at 23 so that the intermediate cross sills 23 may have sliding movement vertically on the standards 30 incident to the expansion and compression of the springs 28.

Standards 30EL are secured to the inner ends of the end truck members and provided with apertures and a cross bar 32 is adapted to connect the opposite standards 30a of each end truck member, the cross piece being preferably bifurcated and perforated so that a pin 0r other Suitable fastening 33 may be passed through the cross pieces 32 andy through the standards 30at for the purpose of clamping the lumber, rails 'or other material tightly on the end truck members adjustably according to the height of the load.

The coupling poles D may be arranged in pairs 34 and 35, each pair having a plurality of apertures 36 and 37, respectively, adapted to be brought into registration with a plurality of apertures 38, 39 and 40 formed respectively in the intermediate and end truck members A, B and C to receive fastening pins ,a or the like so that the end members of the truck may be disposed and secured at different spaces from the intermediate truck member A, thereby providing for an extension or adjustment of the truck for the accommodation of lumber, rails or other materials of various lengths, particularly to balance the load on the center wheels, requiring less power to move the truck. Either end truck can be coupled a longer or shorter distance from the center truck than the other end truck so that if one end is heavier than the other, the truck can be balanced o-n the wheels of the intermediate truck.

The cross pieces 32 serve to brace the standards 30a and they also perform the function of binding the load on the end members of the truck. By virtue of these bracing and binding cross pieces 32 and the manner in which the supporting members of the truck are coupled together by the coupling poles D, the load and truck are so bound together as to constitute one rigid mass balanced on the large wheels of the intermediate truck member A, whereby these large wheels of the intermediate truck member A form a pivot or fulcrum, permitting the whole truck to be turned around in a space substantially no larger than the length of the load. This is a decided advantage in loading lumber on to or off the l trucks in the narrow alleys of lumber yards and is particularly advantageous in storing lumber in the second story of lumber yards, saving considerable time and, when stacking lumber to the height of ten feet, as much lumber can be stacked in a given time by one man as is now accomplished by two men. However, my improved truck is particularly serviceable in loading barges and boats with lumber and other material, such as steel rails, steel beams, etc. By mounting the removable end gates 36 and binding the load on the end members of the truck through the instrumentality of the said bracing and binding cross pieces 32, the truck may be easily and readily lowered down an inclined gang plank, way or the like on to a boat and, on account of the possibility of pivoting the truck on the large wheels of the center or intermediate truck member A, the load can be turned and moved back on thc boat end ways either backward or forward. The custom new employed for handling lumber, beams, rails or the like on river boats is expensive because the deck hands carry one or two pieces at a time on their shoulders. This is exceedingly laborious and very slow. My improved extension truck enables the lumber to be loaded aboard the boat, pulled up an inclined way voff the boat and then horses may be attached to the truck, at either end thereof as, for instance, by a connection with the clevis or the like 41 on each end truck member, and the truck with the freight thereon moved any distance without unloading until the place of stacking is reached. This saves carrying the lumber on the shoulders of men to the wharf where the lumber is picked up by teamsters, loaded on wagons and hauled 4to the lumber yards and stacked. In the use of my .improved truck the material may be taken directly from the boat to the place of stacking or other place desired to transy port the same.

Vhat is claimed 1s:- l. In an extension truck, an intermediate wheeled truck member, end wheeled truck members, coupling poles to adjustably connect the truck members together and slightly elevate the end truck members oil the ground, and means whereby the load may be bound tightly on the end truck members so that the load and truck members may be rigidly connected together and the weight Cil of the load sustained by the intermediate truck member'. 'v

2. A truck comprising an intermediate member, end members, coupling poles adliustably connecting the end truck members to the intermediate member and maintaining the end members slightly elevated oli' the ground, and means to bind the load on the end truck members to cause the weight of the load to be sustained by the intermediate truck member.

3. A truck comprising an intermediate wheeled member, end wheeled members, coupling poles adjustably connecting the end truck members to the intermediate truck member, means to bind the material on the end trucks to cause the weight of the load of material to be sustained by the intermediate truck member, and end gates detachably connected to the end truck members.

4. A truck comprising an intermediate truck member, end truck members, coupling poles adjustably connecting the end truck members to the intermediate truck member so that the end truck members may be balanced on the intermediate truck member as a fulcrum, and means to bind the load on the end trucks to render the truck and load rigid and cause the weight of the load to be sustained by the intermediate truck member.

A truck comprising an intermediate truck member, end truck members, acoupling connection between the truck membersthe supporting portion of the end truck members being yieldably mounted so as to yield automatically under pressure upon striking an elevation and the supporting portion of the intermediate member being rigidly mounted so as to sustain substantially all of the weight of the load on the truck during travel over even or uneven sur faces and whereby the truck may be easily turned on the intermediate truck member i acting as a fulcrum.

6. A truck comprising an intermediate truck member, end truck members, a coupling connection between the truck members, the supporting portion of the end truck members being yieldably mounted so as to yield automatically under pressure upon the end truck striking an elevation and the supporting portion of the intermediate member being rigidly mounted, so as to sustain' rmeans to bind the load on the end trucks to causey substantially all of the weight of the load to be normally sustained by the intermediate truck to facilitate movement and turning oi' the truck, the supporting portion of the intermediate truck -being rigid and the supporting portions of the end trucks being yieldable so as to give automatically under pressure upon striking an elevation' and thereby permit the main part of the weight of the load to be sustained by the intermediate truck during movement of the truck over even or uneven surfaces.

lIn testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS SIMPSON.

Witnesses:

J. I-I. ARMSTRONG, C. E. BEoRUs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

